Over the past couple of days, "AirTalk" listeners in our local Persian communities have made great contributions to the program. Hearing the accounts of those who've been in contact with family and friends in Iran significantly widens the coverage beyond news reports from Tehran. I was riveted as callers spoke of what they were hearing about protests in other Iranian cities and how some of their family members were comparing it in intensity to the Iranian revolution.

All of us are, of course, interested in Iran's future. But it's even more powerful to hear from our callers for whom this is very personal and familial. To our Iranian-American listeners -- thank you for calling in and commenting online about what you've heard from loved ones close to the demonstrations.

This is another testament to the remarkable mix of people and backgrounds here in Southern California. The world seems so much smaller here, as people with connections elsewhere have made their home in the Southland.